Car roof



E. G. FRANCK Oct. 11, 1932.

CAR ROOF Filed May 25, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR ATTO RN EY'S' E. G. FRANCK Oct. 11, 1932.

GAR ROOF Filed May 25. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTO R 22%??? Gifiazc/V ATTO RN EY,8

Patented Ot. 11,-.1932

UNITED.- s'rA'ras PA ENT oFFmE EDWIN e. FBANCK, or nnrnorr, mIcnIGAN, Assrononro nuronins CAR-ROOFING I COMPANY, or nn'rnorr, MICHIGAN, A conronArIoN or DELAWARE Thein'vention. relates to removable can First, to obtain a construction which can be quickly and easily applied or removed fromthe,car;"

loj Second, to facilitate the easy loading of thecar without'necessity of removing the entire roof;.

hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings: Figure l isa planview;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a. portion of the roof as applied to the car; Figure 3 is a plan view thereof; 3 b Figure 4 is a cross s'ectionon line'4-4= of Figure 1; I

Figure 5 is an end elevation; n Figure 6 is a cross section on line 6-6-01 Figurel; a Figure? is a longitudinal section showing the joint between adjacent hinge sections;

Figure 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig: ure 1 1 Figure 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Figure 1.. k

Railway freight cars of the type known as gondola are usually constructed with metal' sides surrounding the I latform and reinforced at their upper e ges by angle bars.

These angle bars are usually arranged to have their horizontal flanges extend outward from the sides and ends of the car and reinforced at their outer edges by a bulb or heavy bead. With my im roved construction of" detachable roof I utllizethese-angle bars as a support and the bead "at the edge thereof as .a means for clamping or holding down the roof 'upon'the car body. In detail, the

roof comprises a plurality of sections sepa-' rately engageable with or removable from the car body and as shown in Figure 1, there are two of such sections arranged upon the op'posite sides of the longitudinal center of the carlines A preferably of inverted channel Third, to obtain various advantages as car. Each section is formed of .a series of" OAR 'aoor Application filed ma 25, 1931. Serial 1%. 9,943. A

cross section with outwardly extended base flanges and a series of roofing sheets B hav'ing overlapping edges riveted to each other and to a supporting carline. The carlines are bent to give a slight slant or pitch to the V roofonopposite sides of the ridge and the roofing plates terminate short of the ridge so as .to leave a central opening'for loading the car. Each sheet has an upturned flange Bv at its inner end and at its outer or eaves end a downturned flange B which overlaps the beaded edge of the angle C of the car body. Longitudinally extending angle bars D reinforce the .downturned flanges B and the inwardlyextending flanges of these angle bars rest upon the angles 0 to support the roof.

'The angle bars D are riveted or otherwise at tachedto the carlines A. v I The space between the inner ends of the sheets Bis closed by a series of hinged covers E whlch when the car is being loaded or unloaded maybe swung to one sidesoas to clearthe opening between the sheets. This constructlon is shown in Figure 6 in which F are -cap shaped sheets extendinglongitudinally of the car having downturned edges-F and outwardly extending flanges E which rest upon the sheets B. I At one side this cap mein her is attached to the sheet by a hinge fittlng G so located as to permit the cap to 7 swing clear; At the opposite side is a clamping fitting for engaging the flange F and holdingv the same down upon the sheet B.

The caps F areprovided with saddles I which.

p in turn support running board sections J, vthe ends of which are in proximity tothe ends of the similar sections on an adjacent hinged cover.

Between the separately removable sections of the roofv there is provided removable w eatherp'roofing means as illustrated in F igure 8. This consists of transversely extending caps K which embrace upstanding end flanges L on the adjacent sections, these flanges being reinforced by angle bars M.

The caps are secured down by fastening devices N which as illustrated are headed pins passing. through the angles M and flanges of the caps K and secured by removable cotter pins or other locking means. The'transverse caps K extend the length of the sheets B and the space between the ends thereof is weatherproofed by a junction cap 0. At opposite ends of the car and on opposite sides thereof are transverse running boards P, preferably a series of spaced boards, which are secured upon supporting angle bars Q with depending end portions Q, attached to the angle bars D.

With the construction as thus far described, the roof sections may be placed upon the car adjacent to each' other and to facilitate this lifting brackets R are placed at intervals to provide an easy engagement with the hook of a hoist. When the sections are in position they are clamped down at the eaves and I preferably provide a quick clampin means of the following construction:

% are hinge brackets riveted to the downturned flanges B and extending beneath the same. '1 are angle bent arms pivoted at their lower ends to the bracket S and adapted to extend upward inside of the flange B and angle D and to bear against the under side of the bulb or head on the angle bar C. Clamping bolts U engage the arms T and pass outward through apertures in the angle D andflanges B Nuts N on these bolts are adapted to be tightened thereby clamping-the I arms T against the under side of the bulb.

In loading the car any one or more of the hinge sections E may be opened byswinging the same back on the hinge G which will provide a sufiicient opening to receive the load. After loading these hinge sections are swung back and are locked by the clamping members I-I.

" tween adjacent sections and clamping means secured to the downturned eaves flanges hooking under and engageablewith the under side of the flanged edges of the car.

2. A roof for open cars of the gondola type comprising a plurality'ofsections arranged end to end and together covering the car, each ofsaid sections extending from eaves to caves and having downturned weatherproofing flanges at the eaves and means mounted on said downturned flanges for hooking under and clamping said section to the flanged upper end of the car.

3. A roof for open cars of the gondola type comprising a roof section extending from caves to eaves with downturned flanges at the eaves, means for securing said downturned flanges to the car and a hinged cover for opening in the ridge portion of said'roof section providing access for loading and unloading.

4.. A roof for open cars of the gondola type comprising a roof section extending from eaves to eaves, said section having roofing sheets spaced from each other on opposite sides of theridge to provide an opening and extending to the eaves with downturned flanges at the eaves, and a cap for removably covering the opening between said spaced sheets providing access for loading and unloading.

5. A roof for open cars of the gondola type comprisinga plurality of sections arranged end to end and together covering the car, each of said sections extending from caves to eaves and having downturned weatherproofing flanges at the eaves and means carried by-said downturned flanges and operable externally of the car for hooking under and clamping against the under side of the flanged upper end of the car.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. EDWIN G. FRANCK. I 

